158 thoughts ^tt certain Ohjlades to Improvement » May 



Yet, under all the difadvantages of defecllve management* 

 (which is ftiil greater in Ireland), our two iflands employ and 

 fupport about fixteen millions of people. It is therefore rcafon- 

 able to conclude, that if our management, ihyouyhoui^ was equal 

 to that of fonie of the beil cultivated diftri^ts. Great Britain and 

 Ireland could lupport a population of between twenty-two and 

 twenty-four millions. This idea is greatly corroborated, if not 

 confirmed, when we calculate on the quantity of our good, bad, 

 and indiiFerent land, the produce of each kiril under proper ma- 

 nagement, the confumption of each inhabitant, and that of the 

 necelTary num.bcr of labouring and other horfes, &c. Such an 

 increafe of population would virtually be equal (and without the 

 difadvantages of a more extenfive frontier) to what our neighbours 

 have gained by other means — a great increafe of territory. The 

 vaft importance of meafures calculated to produce fo propitious 

 an etFe(ft, is exceedingly obvious ; but, recoUe^ling the title of 

 your publication, I fliall not inquire \dicther they are more fo 

 nowy than at any former period of our hiftory. 



"What remedies (hould be applied to evils which prevent a ra- 

 pid increafe of our population and profperity, fliouid becomc=: 

 fubjects of difculTion among our legiilators and (latefmen ; and, 

 fortunately, many landholders, and fome of our leading fena- 

 tors, have embraced the practice of hufbandry on a large fcale. 

 The accefhon of Mr Pitt's abilities to the great caufe of agri- 

 culture, was announced in one of your Numbers ; and I am in- 

 formed by a correfpondent in Northumberland, that another dif- 

 tinguiflied fenator (Mr Grey) devotes a confiderable portion of 

 his time to the management of about one thoufand acres of ex- 

 cellent land around his feat, at Howick, in that county. Such 

 condu6l does them much honour. The forces of ancient Rome 

 conquered the world. Tlie Romans, however, were not more 

 diftinguiflied in arms than in agriculture \ and feveral of her 

 great generals and fenators participated in the pradlice of hof- 

 bandry, and actually put their hand to the plough. The abili- 

 ties of Mr Pitt and Mr Grey have been much tried in the caufe 

 of reform : May their agricultural purfuits unfold to them the 

 great necelTity of, and their patriotiim prompt tlienj to endea- 

 vour to effect, another kind of re Form — a refer tn in the tithe fyf- 

 tem^ and (as far as legillative regulations can be applied) the ma- 

 nagement of landed ef} ate s I Some contend, that legiflative inter- 

 ference would be inconfiftent with the rights of proprietors, and 

 dangerous. To interference, however, of a fimilar nature, we 

 owe many great and important advantages. Undoubtedly, pri- 

 vate property (lioulcl be touched with a delicate hand ; but when 

 the lands of a country are not occupied and cultivated in fuch a 



manner 



